Friday, November 23, 2012

"....."It was a horrible nightmare," says Dr. Mona El-Farra, director of Gaza
Projects for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. "Everywhere we were surrounded
with death and horror."......

The destruction of Gaza is severe. Dozens of houses, apartments blocks and
offices have been reduced to rubble. The Israeli military targeted numerous
civil institutions, including a main bridge on the coastal road connecting Gaza
City with the rest of the enclave, as well as several police stations, farms,
the Islamic National Bank, and a sprawling government compound housing
ministries that once issued identification cards, passports and other official
papers.

"In eight days the Israelis inflicted the same amount of destruction as they
did in twenty-two days in Cast Lead four years ago," Sourani says. "I think the
Israelis wanted to inflict pain and terror in the hearts and minds of the
civilian population.".....

"The Israeli talk about ceasefire is not true," El-Farra says. "They did not
talk about siege-lifting or lifting of the occupation. What they are really
talking about is freedom of movement between Gaza and Cairo. In the long-term I
am not optimistic."......

Yet one effect of the Israeli assault on Gaza has been to significantly boost
Hamas's popularity—which had been waning in the face of growing dissatisfaction
with their rule. "Their popularity is on a peak,” Sourani says. “There is
unprecedented, overwhelming support for them.".......

"People are resisting to by existing," says El-Farra. "There was strong
social solidarity during this attack. People were staying strong on the ground.
This was the real courage and steadfastness.""